When we were in Pennsylvania over the holidays, I spent an afternoon with my dear friend Shelly.
As I think over our friendship, it’s been so unique in that most of the time we’ve been long-distance from each other. There have been a few segments of time where we’ve been in the same location for two months, at two different times, but mostly, we’ve lived far apart.
The amazing aspect of all that is that we’ve only grown closer with time. As we’ve gotten married, had babies, remodeled or built our houses, Shelly has been a friend that’s been constant. She’s not threatened (if our phone conversations don’t happen as often as we’d like), and simply does not carry offenses (even though I’m not nearly a perfect friend).She enters my world, delights in my children, exclaims over new details in my life, has inspired me to make food an art form, challenges me as we raise our children in the love and fear of God, and has taught me precious things about friendship.
So imagine my delight when I was able to spend some an afternoon with her ~ just the two of us [and the two of us have multiplied into 11 now, including us and our husbands and children! :)]!
Shelly suggested Styer’s Garden Café, also known as Terrain. Knowing she has great taste in food and restaurants, and we both love an adventure, we set off. It was a bit of a distance away, but that only allowed for time to us to talk and catch up with each other.
And before we knew it, we were at Styer’s. This place is so hard to describe… but just think ~ what if Anthropologie turned into an upscale café? And that is exactly it. Yes, it’s not just an eating place ~ it’s an experience!
Deliberating over the menu took a considerable amount of time. It was not the normal cuisine that I’m accustomed to eating, but we finally chose a…
house-made pickles & preserves, honeycomb, crostinis
[um, I know, right?? how does one even pronounce many of those foods?]
Let me just say, it was an entire experience that delighted the senses!
I have rarely ever enjoyed food to such a degree as I did that day;
the atmosphere, the presentation, and the flavor were all simply delicious.
The location is within a greenhouse, converted into a unique dining experience. There is still a fine greenhouse on location, with exquisite plants and greens, and you walk through part of it to arrive at the café area. It’s most enchanting.
They had fabulous kraft paper rolls around the restaurant area, displaying specials and notices. I dream of them in my kitchen one day. Dream.
After a leisurely lunch of a few hours, we strolled around the Terrain – the store part of the venue. It is in collaboration with Anthropologie and a few other noteworthy stores, so you can only imagine the unique and delightful pieces we exclaimed over!
We attempted a self-timer photo, and this is the best that we got. :)
And another take… You’d never know by these pictures that Shelly was within days of birthing her 4th baby. I was a little nervous, lest the baby decide to come early, and I’d need to take a midwife role on a highway. :) Thankfully, bebe stayed put and waited until the right time.
As I look through these picture I relive the afternoon all over again. :)
Moments such as these are truly what brings beauty to our lives – the richness of relationship, the time to savor and enjoy special moments, the delight in loveliness and uniqueness and creativity. It was inspiring in so many ways. Thank you, Shelly, for a treasure of a day! xo
Now it’s your turn! What is one of your most favorite cafes or dining experiences?
Oh, oh, oh. What a lovely time it was. You captured it and described it well. I’m not sure that I’ve ever been anyplace quite like it. And I’m so grateful to have had that afternoon together with you . . . because the nice things you said about me, I can also say about you . . . And I’m a grateful soul for the way we met and connected and have grown in our friendship through the years!
So . . . when are we going again?? And which rich uncle shall we be extra nice to in the days leading up to it, so you know, as to have some $$$ to spend when we do go again??! I refuse to leave that store again without buying that little tea cup and a green plant, preferably a topiary, but depending on the richness or poorness of the uncle, I suppose I could settle for a different variety.
xo
I want to see your pictures of our afternoon together too! That was just a most wonderful time, I simply cannot stop having fits over our time together and dining experience. :) And, I will not leave again without buying those patio lights! And perhaps a topiary as well. Goodness, we shall perhaps have to make it an annual event to go there. :) xoxo
Terrain is one of my very FAVORITES spots!! It sounds like you had an amazing time! Friendships are such a treasure…what a wonderful blessing!
Ahhhh, you know about Terrain!! Isn’t it just dining perfection?
*sigh* Do they deliver, say, a couple states away?? :)
I sure WISH they would deliver, long distance! I would be a regular customer. :)
A thought about the brown paper. At Target, they have a roll of kraft paper w/ small white dots (just 17 inches wide) that sells for one dollar. I may try a miniature version of this idea. Inspiring!
Thank you for sharing these lovely photos of you lovely gals in a lovely store.
That’s good to know, Kim, because the size of paper rolls they used would be overpowering in the space I have. Thanks!
What a lovely place, the food sounds delish, and the atmosphere so wonderful. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for enjoying the experience with us! :)
What an ADORABLE place! I saw that Jenny hung the brown paper…I am so going to copy! What an incredible idea!
How fun to have an afternoon with your friend in such a pretty place. And the food! Wow!
You are so beautiful..and I always love your outfits! So feminine and sweet.
Happy Weekend to you.
I saw Jenny’s picture too – it looks so good!! I want to see yours when you do it! I can’t wait to find a place to hang one too. And Elizabeth, the fashion queen, likes my outfit? I’m extremely very much flattered. :) xoxo
That’s so funny- I use kraft paper in lieu of chalkboards around our house too! It makes for extremely easy change-out of art, and if I want, I can keep them to use again later!
This place looks incredible!
See, you’re clever like that already! :) I love the look of that kraft paper!
What an exquisite dining experience!! I sat for a long while absorbing the styling details. :) I’m glad you had such a wonderful afternoon with your friend!
I thought of you, Christy, knowing you would have loved the experience as well! It was such artistry, everything about it!
How perfectly delightful! I would love to visit there. And I second the comment that you always looks adorable. I like your style.
It is a most wonderful place to visit, if you’d ever get the opportunity! And you just made my day, thanks! :)
Hello! What a perfect setting! Sometimes you only see places like this in the movies. I am particularly fond of the rustic setting. What a clever use of brown paper with the meal frame. Easily adaptable to home use for notes, messages, lists, all sorts of things. Love it! You didn’t mention if your friend had a girl or boy, or did I miss it? Thank you once again for sharing, I enjoy your stories.
sorry about the typo, we all know there is no meal frame. I correct myself, metal frame!
No worries! :) I thought the metal frame holding the paper was extremely clever and unique too ~ I love pieces of interest like that! And my friend had a little girl, Olivia Jane, just about a week later. :)
Hello, so glad I found your blog. I too live in the Deep South (Al.) and am married to a farm boy. We still farm for a living. I love the pictures you post of your house and your family. We have a lot of the same taste. We live in a farmhouse so I use a lot of antiques and rustic style decor. Keep the pictures coming. P.S. Hope you are getting use to living in the south now.I read one of your earlier blogs on your earlier experiences down here how you had to get use to our way of talking and I couldn’t help but laugh! :)
testing!
Love it! I am a BIG fan of anthropologie & fun food so a marriage of the two? Divine. If you are ever in Champaign, il, try bacaro for some good food.
Get out. I stumbled across Terrain when I ordered something from them about 2 years ago. Never knew they existed till I took advantage of a great Groupon deal they had going on. And put that on my bucket list of places I would like to go sometime! Now hearing your experience makes me want to go for sure! My favorite place to dine is at Pine Tree Barn in Ohio. It is a gorgeous renovated old barn overlooking a Christmas tree farm with a gorgeous view of ponds. You can sit and dine and see all the beauty from these big gorgeous windows. They have the best ever Lemon Red Raspberry muffins. To die for!!! I would love to take you there some time!
I just read Shelly’s newest post which referred me over here. It looks like you both had a wonderful time and I had to laugh when you said you were a bit worried about the bebe coming while on the road given how quickly Miss Olivia Jane joined the world! The love you two have for each other really shines through and seems very “sisterly”. I am excited to see more from you both as you are an encouragement to me as a mother and as a daughter of God! <3
Aww, I loved your comment ~ thank you so much! Yes, Shelly does feel like a sister to me, and I am so deeply grateful for her friendship and love! She is such a blessing to me, and is that “iron sharpening iron” in my life! xo